What’s the one thing that's common between writing an essay and a dissertation? Before you jump in to say nothing, think again. Still nothing? Well, it’s the research process. Whether you’re writing a two-page essay or an elaborate dissertation or thesis, you’ll need to gather the right resource materials to produce a high-quality paper.
Now, here’s a question: How many of you have in-depth knowledge about this research process's different aspects? If you don’t have a lot of clarity on this process, we bring you a detailed account of basic research vs. applied research. Read through the post as we break down both these types of research, and highlight their difference.
![Basic vs. Applied Research]( "Basic vs. Applied Research")
Definition of applied research
Applied research can be identified as research that delves into the real-life application of natural science. It’s focused on offering a solution to several practical problems and develop innovative technology.
In more general terms, it’s the type of research that can be applied to real-life situations. It analyses a specific set of circumstances, so as to connect the results to its corresponding circumstances. Applied research includes an analysis that emphasises several conclusions. Furthermore, research conducted to determine the economic, social, or political trends is also recognised as applied research.
Definition of basic research
basic research or alternatively known as fundamental or pure research is one that emphasises advancing scientific knowledge for the understanding of a topic or certain natural phenomenon, primarily in natural sciences. Simply put, when knowledge is acquired for the sake of knowledge it’s identified as basic research.
Basic Research is theoretical and focuses on general principles and testing theories. It's performed to develop basic knowledge. It’s conducted with the aim to collect information that’s universally applicable. Hence, basic research allows you to add new knowledge to the already existing one.
Basic vs. applied research: The general comparison
| Parameters | Applied research | Basic research |
| Meaning | Applied research is the type that is performed to solve a practical problem or answer some questions. | Basic Research focuses on expanding the existing base of knowledge. |
| Goal | To look for the solution to solve the problem at hand. | To gain more knowledge and add to the existing understanding. |
| Nature | Practical | Theoretical |
| Concerned with | Development of technology | Gaining scientific knowledge |
| Utility | Limited | Universal |
Applied vs. basic research: Differences based on characteristics
While basic research is typically known for its focus on expanding knowledge, applied research emphasises offering a practical solution to a defined problem. In simple terms, basic research is theory-specific, applied research is more practical.
Also, applied research tends to be action-oriented in nature while basic research is analytical and explanatory in nature. Basic research is about the solutions and focuses on the expansion of knowledge and not on the application of research findings like applied research.
Basic vs applied research: Comparison based on the research purpose
Basic research is guided by curiosity and the necessity to explore new areas of knowledge in different fields. And applied research is focused on providing answers to specific questions to solve a problem.
This means applied research relies on examining empirical evidence for answers while conducting basic research means analysing the data samples to collect more information about them. Such details enhance the quality of knowledge of the subject matter.
Differences based on the research approach
Applied research is more descriptive in nature. It puts more emphasis on the utility of research outcomes depending on their usage. This means the research highlights how the outcomes can be utilised to find existing problems and develop proper solutions.
In this sense, basic research delves into theories and improves on existing theories with the objective of contributing to the existing knowledge.
Comparison based on the research context
Basic research is performed in a restricted, closed research environment like a laboratory while applied research is carried out in a real-life setting that’s not restricted. The former type of research allows the researcher to strictly observe the behaviours and characteristics of the research subjects.
In case of applied research, the researcher uses dependent and independent variables to freely communicate with one another in an unrestricted setting where other variables may intervene.
Basic vs applied research examples
Examples in education
In education, applied research is carried out to improve learning methods by offering practical solutions to pedagogic issues. On the contrary, basic research is utilised in education to come up with new pedagogical theories that elaborate different behaviours by teachers and students within the learning landscape.
Examples in psychology
Applied research is quite useful in industrial-psychology to prepare solutions for problems associated with organizational policies, workplace behaviour, and employee recruitment processes. Basic research in psychology is performed to gain an understanding of different psychological conditions to decipher workplace behaviours more efficiently.
Parting thoughts,
The research process is the basis of your academic paper, so you need to know how to deal with this process. This is why knowing the difference between basic and applied research is crucial. Once you master it, the research process will be simpler than ever.
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